


Death Inspires Me (Like a Dog Inspires a Rabbit)

by lamonnaie



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Injury, M/M, Murderer au, Pink Haired Josh Dun, Strangers, TOPFL Halloween Challenge, TOPFL Halloween Challenge 2019, Very small portion though, description of violence, serial killer au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 16:17:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21121679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamonnaie/pseuds/lamonnaie
Summary: "So there really was someone there. In the middle of a storm. When a goddamn murderer was loose in the town. Tyler didn’t have a death wish – there was no way he’d be letting this stranger in."There's a serial killer loose in town, and someone just happened to knock on Tyler's door.





	Death Inspires Me (Like a Dog Inspires a Rabbit)

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the TOPFL Halloween Challenge and it's based off a prompt from Tumblr that read:  
"There’s a serial killer in town and you want to hide in my house because you’re freaked out but I’m not letting you in because I’m 99% sure you’re the killer au."  
I tweaked it a bit to suit my story more.  
Oh and fun fact: I listed to Behind the Sea Alternate Version by P!atd 46 times while writing this. (It's a good song)

It was an overcast day to begin with, grey clouds heavy with lead filling up the sky and a never-ending downpour silencing the town with its incessant _tap tap._ It drummed against the windows of the house, sly fingernails tapping on the glass and begging for entry. Tyler in turn opted to pull down the blinds, shrouding his quaint living room in a murky light flooding out from the lit fireplace. It crackled in the air, burning embers flying up in ways they shouldn’t be, lighting up their surroundings momentarily before flickering to a swift death. _Let’s add replacing that to the list of things to do._

Tyler sighed.

It had only been two years he’d been in this town, lured in with the prospects of a new life - a fresh start away from everything that weighed him down. Yet all of that hope had fizzled away in less than a year, replaced with a sense of self-loathing as his old life managing to seep into even this new place.

He picked up his mug of coffee, relishing in the warmth it provided before taking a sip of the bitter concoction. Rat piss, he’d affectionately named it. But hey, anything to keep him alert in the sorry state the town was in.

_Creekwood Killer at it Again?_

The headline had caught his eye earlier that day, standing boldly on the front page of the local paper amongst county fair notices and the middle school charity drive. They really had nothing else to care about, huh? Nevertheless, he had picked it up from his pile of mail, flicking quickly to the story.

“_After his three shocking murders last month all in the same week, the Creekwood Killer seems to be at large once more. Yesterday morning, Mrs Ada West was discovered dead in her Derby Road home by her unsuspecting niece. The body was found covered in blood and red confetti, which has been identified as a signature move by the Creekwood Killer. Residents of Creekwood are warned to stay indoors after nightfall and to not answer the door for unexpected guests. Updates will be given in coming days.”_

Tyler shuddered at the thought. How had he ended up in this goddamn town of all places? So much for a fresh start. Nevertheless, he got up to doublecheck his windows and doors, twisting the locks again simply for the sense of safety it brought. He went around the house, coming full-circle as he reached the final window before the front door. He peeked behind the blinds, reaching for the rusty lock at the bottom of the pane of glass. Outside, the downpour didn’t seem like it would be letting up anytime soon, stream after stream of crystal-like rain hammering against anything and everything outside. He was glad to be indoors. Just as he was about to return to his cooling coffee, a figure caught his eye.

The onslaught of rain meant that everything further than a hand’s length away was caught in a haze, nothing more than a blur. At the end of his driveway, Tyler could just make out a blurry outline. It seemed to be coming closer, painstakingly battling against the wind and rain to move forward. It could have easily just been a figment of Tyler’s imagination, the coffee combined with the eerie newspaper just fuelling his overactive mind. Yeah, that’s definitely what it was. Tyler retreated from the window, letting the blinds swing back to their original position. He really needed a caffeine boost.

Barely 5 minutes later, a faint knocking noise reverberated around the room. It melted in with the thrashing rain and Tyler initially wrote it off as that. Yet it soon got louder, an incessant banging coming from his front door. So there really was someone there. In the middle of a storm. When a goddamn murderer was loose in the town. Tyler didn’t have a death wish – there was no way he’d be letting this stranger in.

So he stayed sitting there, trying his best to ignore the straight-out pounding from both the door and his heart. He reasoned that if he stayed quiet enough the person would eventually leave, right? Or they’d at least have the sense to go down a few blocks to a neighbour or something.

“Please, just let me in! I think my fingers might actually freeze off. Hello?”

Or apparently not. The voice came through muffled, layered with rain and the weight of the door, as well as a scarf of some sort, if this person had half a brain. Yet even through all of that, the distress in his voice (it was definitely a guy) was clear.

“Hello? I know there’s someone in there, everyone’s at home. There’s a murderer around.”

Tyler stood up and cautiously made his way towards the door.

“Come on dude, please! You don’t want to have a dead guy on your doorstep just ‘cause you didn’t open a door. I’ll give you ten bucks and the best hug ever if you open up!”

Tyler raised an eyebrow at that. Could serial killers really be this endearing? _Nopenopenope. We are NOT thinking like that. _

He deliberated for a moment, not moving towards the door but not retreating back either.

“Please please pleaseee. My car literally just broke down. You can’t leave me out here! Please, I’m begging you.”

Tyler sighed. This guy was just too good. He took a few steps towards the door.

And then he took a few steps back again because there was absolutely no way he’d be letting a random person into his house.

He was about to make his way back to his neglected coffee, when a different sound filled the air. Something like a cross between a cough and a puppy whining. Was the guy crying?

“Please… just please,” the man finished off with a dull thud at the door, a toned-down version of his previous knocks. Okay, he was definitely crying.

Right in that moment, Tyler swore he heard his heart break. He’d been raised a good boy – he paid his taxes, cleaned up after himself and called his mom every day. If his upbringing meant anything to him, he’d let in this poor man, who was obviously in a world of pain on the other side of the door.

But then the rational side of Tyler’s brain kicked in. The words ‘serial killer’ were imprinted in the back of his mind.

“Please,” the man sobbed once more. God, he sounded so, _so_ hurt.

Tyler took in a deep breath. And then he began walking towards the door again. He reached it and grasped the doorknob firmly. His brain was screaming at him to _STOP _and _step back_ but his heart told him to _GoGoGo. _Who to listen to? He chose his heart.

With a shaky hand, he reached towards the door bolt, inching it open. Now all he had to do was twist the handle, and the stranger could come in. He halted momentarily, really considering all of his options.

_Fuck it. _

With a swift turn, he pulled the door open.

The first thing he registered was just how bad the storm really was. He was punched with a gust of air as soon as he opened the door, and it only kept coming at him the longer he stood there.

The second thing he registered was just how bad the condition the man was really in. His strawberry pink hair was plastered across his forehead by heavy beads of water, and his arms were protectively wrapped around his leather jacket-clad torso. He obviously hadn’t expected to be caught up in the torrential downpour. An alarming shade of white had spread across most of his dripping face, and whether that was a result of the rain or his tears, Tyler couldn’t tell.

“Hi, I’m Josh!” the man, _Josh, _said. A broad smile encompassed his face, his eyes crinkling around the corners. How he could smile in the dire state he was in, Tyler had no idea. Josh was going to cause him a whole lot of trouble. In which sense, he wasn’t sure himself.

“Come in,” Tyler finally remembered how to use his voice. He moved off to the side, clearing some space for the man to enter.

“Thank you _so _much.” Josh’s words were filled with gratitude, and Tyler honestly couldn’t believe that he had ever even considered leaving him out in the cold.

“I-It’s okay.”

Josh continued into Tyler’s house, awkwardly waddling forward in his drenched clothes. He eventually reached the chair Tyler had previously been occupying and collapsed onto it. The flames from the lit fireplace illuminated Josh’s face, some colour finally returning to his bleached features. The reflection from the fire seemed to dance in his eyes, flickering amongst the dark centres. Tyler watched on mesmerised.

“So, do you want a hug? I’m pretty sure I promised one,” Josh said with a soft grin, breaking the silence before opening his arms wide for Tyler. If any other day a cute guy had offered him a hug, he’d be bolting towards him like there was tomorrow. But the day’s events had left him on edge. And there was no way a complete stranger could be this kind without any ulterior motives. Tyler didn’t want to think about that. He was already way in over his head.

Despite his not-so-responsible actions thus far, he had the responsibility to decline the offer. His eyes drifted over his settled coffee cup.

“No thanks, maybe later. Do you want a coffee? I’m sure you’re freezing.”

“Oh my god, you’re an actual angel. Yes please!”

Josh was positively beaming by this point.

Tyler returned a small smile and grabbed his own mug before heading to the kitchen.

He slowly went through the motions of coffee-making, having done it enough times to be able to do it on autopilot.

What kind of a mess had he got himself in? And he’d just left the guy in his house unattended. There was surely a chapter in some “Avoiding Sociopaths” guidebook that clearly stated to NOT do that. He was absolutely screwed.

He finished up with the coffees but kept stirring long after the sugar was dissolved. Was it really in his best intentions to go back out there? He’d left Josh alone long enough for the guy to easily whip out a murder weapon at any moment. Tyler had probably just made his, or should he say the Creekwood Killer’s, job a whole lot easier. There wasn’t much he could do. He picked up the mugs carefully, the stained porcelain warm under his fingers. Just as Tyler was about to leave the safety of the kitchen, an object caught his eye. He placed the mugs back down again.

On his wall was an assortment of knives: butcher’s knives, chef’s knives, pairing knives, the works. It obviously wasn’t a new revelation to Tyler, it was his goddamn house after all, but all of a sudden, he was seeing them in a new light.

With heavy steps, he trudged towards the display. His fingers haunted over each blade. What was he doing? His hand hovered over a chef’s knife, the sharp edge glinting in the sparse light. He eyed it up, giving the smooth curve of the metal a good look over. Finally, he picked it off the wall, effortlessly sliding it up his sleeve. _Just in case, _he told himself, _just in case._

With a heavy sleeve and an even heavier heart, Tyler picked up the mugs again. They’d both slightly cooled to touch in the time they’d been set down. His heart was going at a million beats a minute as he slowly made his way back to where he’d left Josh. He didn’t want to face him. Who knew what the guy had been up to?

When he entered the room, an oddly serene scene was taking place in front of him. Josh was leaned back on the chair, soaking up the warmth from the fireplace. His eyes remained shut even as Tyler stepped closer, placing one of the mugs down on the table before cradling his own with both hands.

Josh opened his eyes after a few moments, reluctant to do so as he chased the last bit of tranquillity that came with resting in front of an open fire.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” Tyler got lost in those eyes again. “Here’s your coffee,” he whispered, not wanting to break the calm that had fallen over the room.

“Thanks.”

Josh picked up the cup, cradling it in a similar fashion to how Tyler had been.

They each sat sipping their coffees in comfortable quiet, raking their eyes over one another in silent observation.

After a few minutes, Josh got up from his chair, much to Tyler’s confusion.

“I believe I promised someone a hug?”

He opened up his arms once more, while Tyler just sat there with a hopeless grin on his face. There was absolutely no malicious intent behind Josh’s words, and even Tyler could see that over his initial distrust.

There was also no denying that Josh looked like the cosiest person ever to cuddle with, or even just to hug. His clothes had considerably dried off thanks to the fire, and now that some form had returned to his previously frostbitten features, Tyler could just feel the warmth radiating off of him. He was like a literal ray of sunshine. This guy was absolutely going to be the death of him.

Nevertheless, Tyler just couldn’t bring himself to deny the offer a second time. He quickly rose from his chair, his features captured in a huge grin.

“I believe you did.”

He wrapped his arms around Josh’s body, settling them around his shoulders. Josh in turn clasped his hands around Tyler’s waist gently, just firm enough to make his presence clear.

Tyler melted into the touch, having craved this feeling for so, _so _long. He let out a breath he didn’t even realise he’d been holding and just wholeheartedly fell into the embrace. His head found a place in the crook of Josh’s neck, taking in the scent of musk and daydreams. He wasn’t sure that daydreams could embody a scent, yet nothing else could describe the pure innocence and comfort that Josh carried with him.

Josh began slowly running a hand through Tyler’s hair, tracing circles and spirals into his scalp. Tyler let out a sigh. He’d honestly be happy to die right then and there. It felt like his soul had already ascended to some greater place.

It had been too long since Tyler had experienced this sort of physical contact with anyone, and it almost made him regret what he was going to do next. Almost.

“This is really lovely,” he whispered.

“Yeah, it is.”

Josh pulled him that tiny bit closer.

And in that split second of movement, Tyler pulled up his sleeve, letting the concealed knife slide down with ease.

“Shit,” Josh whispered. His eyes widened, his mouth gaping open as a look of shear panic set in. He took a few steps back, eyes frozen on the weapon as he blindly fumbled backwards.

Tyler gripped the knife handle harder, the cool metal digging into his hand.

“I’m so sorry.”

He moved forward, recovering the distance Josh had established between them.

“Please,” Josh whimpered.

Tyler wasn’t sure how many times that word had escaped from Josh’s mouth in the last hour, but this time it hit him the hardest.

He was this close to dropping the weapon, letting it fall to the carpet and letting Josh out with another hug and a promise to never bring him up to anyone. Tyler could leave town, start a new life elsewhere like he’d already done before. It would be so easy.

But no.

They had less than a hand’s length of distance between them, Tyler could feel Josh’s heavy breaths on his face. Yet he didn’t seem to be making any attempts to escape, having accepted his fate quicker than Tyler would have expected. His eyes were watering again, fat tears dropping onto his cheeks that were losing colour faster than his heart was beating.

_Kerthump. Kerthump. Kerthump._

Not for much longer.

“Sorry,” Tyler whispered again, before moving his wrist forward with a quick jerk.

The tip of the blade met first with Josh’s jacket, providing a bit of resistance, but nowhere near enough to save him. It pierced the leather in a matter of moments before meeting his flesh with a satisfying rip. The blade sank deeper, the sounds of skin tearing and muscle splitting being the only audible noises in the pin-drop silence that had occupied the room. Josh’s eyes widened even further at the sensation, but he made no effort to move. Whether it was because he didn’t want to, or he simply couldn’t, Tyler wasn’t sure.

But he didn’t need to be.

A choked groan left Josh’s mouth, bile rising from his throat. His pupils made an appearance for the final time, bidding farewell before rolling back into his head. He slumped forward.

The damage was done.

Tyler grabbed the knife handle tightly, using one hand to prop up Josh’s lifeless body. With a twist, he turned the knife in its place. A sickening squelch filled the air. With the expertise of years of experience, he gently pushed Josh down, letting his back rest flat against the carpeted floor. With a clean swipe, he pulled the knife out of Josh, spurts of blood following its path.

He'd would figure out what to do with the body tomorrow, deciding he had done enough for the day. Laying there completely gone, Tyler almost felt sorry for the guy. But he felt even sorrier for the person who’d have to dry clean his carpet the next day. Blood stains were hard work, he knew.

With a satisfied final glance, he stood up, twirling the knife with its red trophies around his fingers.

Some things you just can’t ever leave behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope it fulfilled your Halloween-y desires!!  
Come say hi on [tumblr](http://lamonnaie.tumblr.com) if you'd like :)  
:DD


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